Dragonlance: Legends

Dragonlance: Legends #1-3

by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

Dragonlance Legends (Dragonlance Legends Paperback) [paperback] Weis, Margaret,Hickman, Tracy [Nov 01, 1988]

Genres: Fantasy, Dragonlance, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adventure

905 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Margaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.

Reviews

[Tom Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Always bring a book," went mom's advice, "so you have something to read while you're waiting."

Here's what I waited for with this particular book:

- 5th grade, I waited for newly-made friends to finish hockey practice so D&D could start.

- 6th through 8th grades, I waited in endless orthodontic offices, waiting for my teeth to straighten out.

- Age 15, I waited in lobbies, a series of free clinics where still-learning med students poked and prodded in batteries of awkward physical tests.

- Age 19, summer in the car, I waited for my about-to-be-first-ex-girlfriend to get done lifeguarding at the pool.

- and today, age 35, waiting for my bad back to heal, waiting for "more important" books from the library, waiting for 2020 to end and normal life to begin again.

5 stars. A good book and a trusted companion to pass the time.

[Lector Perruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

He tardado muchísimo tiempo en leer esta trilogía, creo que porque, aunque me ha gustado, tenía algo que no ha terminado de mantenerme enganchado, quizá la lentitud de algunos pasajes.
Empecé con las más altas expectativas. Acababa de leer su trilogía previa, Crónicas de la dragonlance, y me había parecido de lo mejor que había leído del género...
A medida que avanzaba su lectura, me fuí "desencantando" en el sentido de que es una trilogía muy diferente a la anterior, con un ritmo mucho más pausado. No le encontraba la agilidad, riqueza de personajes, originalidad... de la anterior. A veces tenía la sensación de estar leyendo un spin off de los hermanos Majere y no una verdadera secuela, sin la mayoría de los personajes de Crónicas. Esto cambia más adelante.
Dejando de lado los aspectos que no me han gustado (que nadie se desanime, a muchísima gente le ENCANTA esta trilogía), diré que los personajes tienen una evolución personal interna muy importante, especialmente Caramon.
En cuanto a Crysania, ni fu ni fa. No le llega ni a la suela a Laurana como protagonista femenina... Tasslehoof, en cambio, salva en muchas ocasiones la historia... Raistlin, mi personaje favorito, tiene momentos en que su excesiva ambición me ha llegado a producir rechazo. Eso sí, si Leyendas posee algo, es una exhaustiva radiografía al mejor personaje de todo dragonlance.
Lo malo es la sensación, a parte del cambio interno que se opera en los personajes, de que tras 1300 páginas, no ha pasado nada realmente importante... O que, con los viajes en el tiempo (nunca fue mi tema favorito), se mete bastante paja para concluir en... algo no tan grande, ni mucho menos.
En definitiva: unos libros muy Willow, entrañables, con aventuras, magia, magos, espadas, mitología de Krynn y fantasía.
Si hubiese sido la primera trilogía... desconozco si hubiese seguido. En cualquier caso, leeré la bilogía en la que continua la historia, El ocaso de los dragones. Pinta bastante más potente y cañera. Más Crónicas.

[Maurine Tritch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has always been my favorite of the Dragonlance books, mostly because I find the character of Raistlin Majere one of the most interesting in all of literature. Is he truly evil? Is he actually good at the core? These are never answered, and the debate between fans could rage for days. Question moves on to question. Does he love Crysania? What about the relationship between he and his twin brother Caramon? That, you think you have all figured out in Chronicles. The continuing advantage Raistlin takes of Caramon's devotion, and his cruelty in the face of his brother's generosity and love is explored in myriad examples.

But in Legends, a very different perspective emerges. Besides the inner conflict between the brothers, Legends is set amidst the most devastating time of Krynn's history: The Cataclysm and the dark days that followed. The ambitious reach of the overarching story and the depth of character development are perfectly matched in this trilogy, as the writing pair of Weis and Hickman truly find their strength and mesh in a seamless whole.

[Ignacio Senao f · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo más clásico que se puede leer junto Reinos Olvidados en fantasía clásica, palomitera, ochentero a tope, de usar y tirar, un pasahojas y un largo etcetera.

Recomiendo leerlo mientras alternanas partidas al HeroQues y por la noche te ves el Cristal Oscuro.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things the Before We Go Blog have been revealing is that a lot of us share the same books that made us the lovers of fantasy we are. Ryan Howse did a fantastic job talking about what the Canticle books by RA Salvatore meant to him. Jodie Crump talked about the wonders of the Dragonlance Chronicles.

For me, however much I liked these books, the ultimate book series was Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins. These were the sequel books to the Dragonlance Chronicles but I actually read them first. Furthermore, they were not only my first exposure to Dungeons and Dragons fiction but they were my first fantasy novels ever. I mean, not counting Narnia and the Hobbit when I was in grade school.

The premise is the big epic heroic battle against the forces of darkness is over. The forces of good are triumphant and the forces of evil are defeated. I always thought that was a tremendously clever way of opening a campaign setting because, even then, I knew enough about high fantasy to be bored of epic battles against good versus evil. Indeed, it was such a clever idea that I pretty much copied it with Wraith Knight (shh). A war of light and dark can usually end only one way while the aftermath can go anyway you want it to.

War hero Caramon Majere, who I misread as Cameron for a decade, is a fat drunk who is barely keeping himself from being abusive. While the rest of the Heroes of the Lance have gone on to bigger and better things, he’s allowed himself to wallow in self-pity as well as regret. There’s also some undiagnosed PTSD but there isn’t exactly much in the way of psychology on Krynn. The biggest regret Caramon has is his brother Raistlin Majere turning to the Dark Side (or Black Robes in this case).

Raistlin Majere. Man, if there has been a more influential character to my writing then it’s either Harry Dresden or no one. Raistlin was the man when I was a fourteen-year-old nerd thinking he was smarter than everyone else. As a teenager, you think the entire world is out to get you and everyone is jealous of your superior intellect–or maybe that was just me. As an adult, I look back on Raistlin Majere with different eyes. Perhaps the eyes of wisdom. A genius, indeed, but so self-absorbed and misanthropic that he made 90% of his own problems.

In a way, Raistlin also serves as an excellent rebuttal for all those dark and tragic romances out there. He and the cleric, Crysania, have all the hallmarks of a bad boy/good woman romance but the books never shy away from what a terrible person he is. He could have happiness with her but to do so would require him to give up his self-agrandizing plans that have no real purpose to him. Raistlin wants to be a god but, really, why? What’s he going to do once he’s a god? It was an interesting concept to present to a teenager.

I also loved the character of Crysania who was a spoiled and somewhat arrogant woman but possessed of a genuine empathy as well as faith. She wants to help Raistlin but also has own ambitions that are guiding her somewhat foolish actions. I also love the story of Caramon Majere as he struggles to overcome his trauma as well as addiction. He also needs to divorce himself of his toxic relationship with his brother that was, previously, his only reason for living.

Fantastic series and everyone should read it.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly epic tale, I loved reading these. There were great characters, huge battles, twists and turns, and everything else you'd like to see in a fantasy tale, even a little G rated romance.

Most of the other reviews I saw on these books mentioned Raistlin and how powerful he was and how awesome his character. I liked his character, but not nearly as much as seeing the transformation of Caramon from a weak spirited follower who couldn't take responsibility for himself into a strong and confident leader. Every step of the way, how he grew into what he was truly capable of, that is a story of many people when they're faced with real challenges and have responsibility thrust upon them. I found it very inspiring and enjoyable. I can see why these were so popular.

[Meldelen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"- No pretendía lastimarme - justificó a Raistlin en respuesta a la expresión severa de su gemelo. - Es lógico que el dolor le convierta en una criatura díscola. No podemos reprochárselo. ¿Qué es nuestro sufrimiento si lo comparamos con el suyo? Tú, mejor que nadie, deberías entenderlo. Sus esotéricas visiones lo capturan hasta tal extremo, que no es consciente del daño que causa a los otros. (...)
- Es más que consciente de lo que hace - replicó el guerrero para sus adentros.- Y estoy comenzando a vislumbrar que siempre lo fue."

A ver si soy capaz de reseñar esta trilogía sin emocionarme.
¿Recordáis cuando decía que las Crónicas no han perdido ni un ápice del encanto original que les encontrara hace tantos años, al leerlas por primera vez? Lo mismo puede decirse de las Leyendas, que son, sin duda, una trilogía no sólo superior, sino probablemente la mejor dentro del universo de Dragonlance. Ya me lo avisó la misma persona que me recomendara las Crónicas; que las Leyendas le daban cien vueltas. Escéptica al principio de la lectura, no me quedó duda alguna al terminarla de que eso era así. Por muchas razones, que ahora recorreremos. Y antes de empezar, un aviso para navegantes: los que se han quejado y lloriqueado por el doloroso final de Juego de Tronos - me refiero a la versión televisiva, claro - deberían experimentar la lectura de las Leyendas para encontrarse con el auténtico dolor, por lo que a finales se refiere.

¿Dónde está la clave del éxito de las Leyendas? En primer lugar, que sigue una estructura por primera vez propia y original por parte de los autores, ya libres del encorsetado modelo de Dungeons & Dragons; es decir, que son más novelas que mero juego de rol. En segundo lugar, que está dedicado al mejor personaje de este universo de Dragonlance; el mago Raistlin Majere, la obra maestra de Margaret Weis - con permiso de Haplo, pero ésa ya es otra historia. En tercer lugar, que la trilogía se centra, más que en explorar grandes axiomas o clichés de la fantasía, en desarrollar algo tan sencillo como son los sentimientos humanos de amor, odio, los vínculos fraternales, la perversión y la redención. Y finalmente, que los autores no renuncian a ningún recurso, por extravagante que parezca, para desarrollar estos temas. ¿Viajes en el tiempo? Claro que sí. ¿Raistlin está cachondo y no en el sentido arcano? ¿Y por qué no? ¿Una sacerdotisa con aura de santa se deja seducir por el mal(o)? ¡Pues claro! ¿El fin del mundo? ¿Gladiadores en la arena? ¿La muerte de los dioses? ¿Un kender visitando los infiernos? ¿Caramon por fin usando su cerebro? Como dicen los anglohablantes, the sky's the limit!

Pero no divaguemos. El argumento a simple vista podría parecer muy manido: tras la Guerra de la Lanza, que quedó cerrada con las Crónicas, Raistlin, convertido ahora en el mago más poderoso del mundo, no se conforma con eso y quiere más: convertirse en dios. Para ello tiene que derrotar a los demás dioses y liquidarlos, empezando por Takhisis, la Reina de la Oscuridad. Si quiere acceder al Abismo donde ella mora, necesita la cooperación de un clérigo al servicio de Paladine, el dios del Bien. Y aunque tal posibilidad se antoja muy remota en la mentalidad de quienes diseñaron este requisito, Raistlin encontrará la manera de hacerlo: seduciendo, en todos los aspectos en que puede seducirse a una persona, a la orgullosa sacerdotisa Crysania, para que le abra el camino al destino final.

Esta trama, que puede parecer muy cogida por los pelos, abre una trilogía que explora los temas antes tratados y que te mantiene en vilo a lo largo de los tres volúmenes (El Templo de Istar, La Guerra de los Enanos y El Umbral del Poder). No puede leerse sin haber leído antes las Crónicas porque comprender a los personajes y sus motivaciones es básico, y a éstos ya los conocimos en la trilogía anterior, salvo Crysania, que es nueva.

Que Raistlin es absolutamente fascinante no supone ninguna novedad, y es en esta historia, donde alcanza una degradación absoluta en el plano moral - de sociópata a psicópata, por resumirlo rápido y mal- empiezas a preguntarte, como Caramon, si realmente siempre fue una mala persona; o si lo volvieron malvado los sufrimientos, abusos y maltratos a los que fue sometido desde niño, la soledad, el rechazo y la incomprensión de los demás, los celos enfermizos a su hermano sano y atractivo; o simplemente es una persona desesperada a la que no le quedó nada más que la magia y cualquier siniestro objetivo que ésta le pudiese brindar para mantener su ego a flote. Indudable villano de esta historia, es imposible que no genere simpatía en el lector. Empatizamos con él porque sabemos de dónde viene y por lo que ha pasado, y acompañarlo en el cúmulo de horrores y despropósitos que va acumulando de forma intencionada y maquiavélica nos produce un dolor casi físico; porque es imposible no sentir compasión por él, a pesar de que no hay, prácticamente, acción suya que podamos defender o justificar; en la forma en que manipula y brutaliza la gente que está a su alrededor - particularmente la mujer que lo ama y el hermano que aún cree en él - para conseguir sus objetivos. Lo importante de esta historia, sin embargo, es que los autores no se rebajan a justificar al villano, o a elevarlo al rango de antihéroe, ni siquiera a establecer una falsa equivalencia entre él y otros personajes que, siendo también imperfectos, eligen otro camino muy diferente. Este camino doloroso tiene un agónico final cuando, en el último instante de su vida, Raistlin asume conciencia de lo que ha hecho - o más bien, de lo que está a punto de hacer - y usa sus últimas energías para deshacer, o impedir la consolidación, de su perverso plan. Y así el villano, mediante su espectacular sacrificio, se redime a sí mismo en un segundo, dejándonos a todos como si nos hubieran abofeteado la cara durante horas.

De la genialidad del personaje de Raistlin no tengo que convencer a nadie, pero, ¿qué decimos de los demás? Porque la evolución de Caramon también es espectacular. En las Crónicas lo conocimos como el gemelo guapo del mago, el guerrero comilón más tonto que pegarle pellizcos a los cristales, pero triunfante en la vida, en las amistades y en el amor; vamos, lo contrario que Raistlin. Muy cliché y poco interesante. En las Leyendas asistimos a su transformación, pasando por un arco brutal cuya clave es la lenta, pero segura, asunción de la conciencia de que su gemelo es una persona pervertida y perversa, condenable, y que nada podrá hacer para cambiarlo - mientras no quiera cambiar él mismo. Es también la rotura, también extremadamente dolorosa, de todos los vínculos que le unen a su hermano, vínculos que, ahora se da cuenta, siempre han tenido que ver con la dependencia física y el abuso emocional más que con el amor fraternal que debería haber existido. Y al romper esos vínculos encontrará, por fin, una razón para vivir por sí mismo.

Finalmente, romperé una lanza en favor de Crysania, ese tercer personaje tan denostado por considerarla, en la mayoría de reviews y debates de fans que he leído, como una mera extensión o instrumento de Raistlin, una dama en apuros, una mera herramienta usada, brutalizada y desechada. Considero que estas visiones son misóginas, y no se le aplicarían si su personaje hubiese sido masculino. Hace poco tuve que replicar a un lector que calificaba a Crysania de personaje absurdo, sin objetivos ni interés, añadido sólo para darle "salseo" a la historia. No es así en absoluto. Crysania es una sacerdotisa, y tiene un objetivo bien claro: redimir a Raistlin, salvarlo de la condenación a la que él mismo se arroja de buena gana. Y al principio, sus motivaciones son meramente egoístas: en su orgullo, la sacerdotisa quiere probar al mundo, a sus correligionarios y a su dios, que su fe lo puede todo, hasta salvar el alma de un condenado. Y accede a cooperar con él en visas de este objetivo: destruir a la diosa del mal y atraer al mago a la luz. Eventualmente se acaba enamorando de él - si es que no lo estaba ya desde casi el principio - pero no creo que sea correcto desechar al personaje simplemente porque además del orgullo religioso, ahora la guía el amor. No todos los personajes femeninos han de ser guerreras valientes o mágicas criaturas. Crysania es el símbolo de una Iglesia orgullosa que en aras del bien cree poder conseguir cualquier cosa, ciega en cuanto a su autocomplacencia; y luego, ya enamorada, cree que el amor hará lo que la mera fe o la aparente bondad no han conseguido. Los autores le conceden un giro magistral al verse confrontada con su propia hipocresía. Utilizada, torturada y abandonada por el hombre que ama y al que creía que iba a salvar, Crysania llega al final de la historia siendo consciente de su propio orgullo y vacuidad. Lejos de castigarla y liquidarla por sus errores, o de convertir su ejemplo en una historia machista - "es tu culpa por enamorarte del malo" - los autores le concederán una segunda oportunidad, y como a Caramon, la paz interior.

No digo nada de Tasslehoff, quien en realidad es la clave de que los acontecimientos den no uno, sino varios giros inesperados - cual mariposa que aletea en plena teoría del caos - porque él se defiende solo, no le hago falta para nada. Y tras este devastador final sólo queda secarse las lágrimas, sorberse los mocos y seguir adelante. Porque hay más, por suerte - o por desgracia, si eres de los que opinan que los autores lo deberían haber dejado aquí. Yo por mi parte, no tengo suficiente ración de magos sociópatas y ambiguos. Me voy a los orígenes del mal, a leer la Forja de un Túnica Negra, en aras de aburriros con otra interminable review. Gracias por vuestra atención.

[Fco. Salvador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después del éxito de las Crónicas, los prolíficos Weis y Hickman repetían su colaboración para crear una nueva trilogía ambientada en el mismo universo de Dragonlance.

Pero donde las Crónicas estaban compuestas en torno a los viajes de unos héroes que intentaban detener la invasión de los dragones del mal, las Leyendas se centran en los conflictos personales de algunos de estos mismos personajes y en la lucha entre la ambición y el amor fraternal. Donde aquéllas exploraban el mundo de Krynn, llevando a esos personajes a los hitos de importancia de las naciones principales, éstas visitan un par de momentos históricos.

Aunque en principio la historia tiene lugar durante la Guerra de la Dama Azul, en concreto cuando Kitiara ataca la ciudad de Palanthas, este arco argumental tiene importancia solo al principio y al final de la trilogía. El resto está ocupado por los viajes en el tiempo realizados por Raistlin, Caramon y Tas, junto a un nuevo personaje: la sacerdotisa Crysania. Los cuatro abandonarán su presente para visitar los días previos al Cataclismo (catástrofe que se encuentra al final del primer tomo, El Templo de Istar -en el original Time of the Twins-), y luego alterarán el desarrollo de La Guerra de los Enanos en el segundo tomo (War of the Twins). En el último, El Umbral del Poder (Test of the Twins en realidad), los personajes pasan por un futuro apocalíptico (el resultado final si no se cambia su presente) y por el Abismo.

Estos juegos con las líneas temporales son uno de los puntos fuertes de la trilogía, y los autores incluyen también un apéndice sobre el tema. Otros detalles interesantes podrían ser la lucha contra la alcoholemia por parte de Caramon, el rechazo a la tentación protagonizada por Crysania o el sacrificio de Raistlin. Sin embargo, en los dos primeros casos el tema se resuelve demasiado rápido; se pasa en un simple suspiro a la solución de una situación complicada, sostenida a lo largo de muchas páginas. Este es otro pequeño defecto que podría achacarse a las obras: la trama avanza despacio. Y no por simple acumulación de texto, si no porque algunas escenas no hacen avanzar la historia.

Aún así, la trilogía es una buena obra, superior a su predecesora en algunos lugares (aunque no en todos). Weis y Hickman no tenían ya la necesidad de ceñirse a los patrones establecidos por las aventuras de rol, ni estaban obligados a incluir un grupo variopinto de héroes. Aunque eso pueda cerrar la historia a ciertos asuntos, la profundidad psicológica que alcanzan estas obras deja muy atrás la desarrollada en las Crónicas.

[Jason Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/19/19: 15-year-old Pierce gives this series five stars. 40-41-year-old Pierce will weigh in on it after he's reread (or, in this case, listened to) the series. Links below lead to the individual reviews.

Time of the Twins: ★★★★★
War of the Twins: ★★★★✰
Test of the Twins: ★★★★✰

Final analysis, 11/21/19: My original surmisal was correct; Time of the Twins was/is my favorite Dragonlance novel, but that's explained in my review of that book. Also, this trilogy is better than the Chronicles, but they're both a lot fun. Everything I say in my review of that series (linked above) can pretty much be put here. As for the rating for the series, I'm going four and a half stars, rounded down to four.

[Pepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing The Dragonlance Chronicles how could I not immediately hunt down all other books on the most conflicted mage in fantasy literature that I have thus far encountered?

Raistlin Majere is so deliciously teetering on the edge of good and evil, he is so acidic, sarcastic and arrogant, so unconcerned about how everyone else pities poor Caramon for having a bitter and ungreatful twin brother like him when Caramon is so caring and supportive of him, and he gains such joy from making people shudder at how twisted he is that you will either love him or hate him as soon as you encounter his character. Since I just love morally gray characters for me it was a bit like love at first sight.

This trilogy, that focuses more on the Majere brothers - in particular Raistlin's attempt at becoming a God and Caramon's attempts at stopping him, is everything you want it to be when you are searching for more on the Majere brothers. Their half-sister also makes an appearance.

[Ángel G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantan las ediciones anotadas de la Dragonlance.
Es cierto que, en parte, revientan algunas sorpresas y están más pensadas para relecturas, pero yo las disfruto mucho. Me encantaría que tuvieramos más versiones comentadas de otras obras, porque ayudan a entender muchas de las decisiones de sus autores. Es una delicia leer las anécdotas detrás de ciertas escenas o el proceso que llevó a tal o cual capítulo.

Las Leyendas han envejecido un poco mejor que las Crónicas que, aunque de pequeño prefería, son inferiores. Aquí los autores ya tienen más experiencia y eso se nota, aunque se echa en falta la variedad de personajes de la primera trilogía. Es cierto que hay bastantes, pero se los van dejando por el camino.

Muy disfrutable para cualquiera que disfrute de la fantasía.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a much better trilogy than Chronicles. You can see that the authors' craft has grown, and the plotting is also better. I often said Chronicles was a Lord of the Rings pastiche, but this volume charts its own course. My biggest problem, and the only reason I didn't give it five stars, is the dismissive treatment it gives women. Of the three women from Chronicles, two don't even appear and the one who does is barely in the book. We're introduced to only one new female character, Lady Crysania, who is horribly written. She could have an interesting arc, but she spends most of it as a subordinate character, one without much agency of her own.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

At close to 1300 pages this should count as 3 books as it originally was but this is a nitpick for my reading challenge. As for the book itself this is the best of the 3 trilogies in Dragonlance but I give it 4 stars because this annotated edition had too much of only one authors world view. Very little was said by anyone but Hickman. This made it a little less interesting. The story itself is up there with the best of the genre, but you need to read the first trilogy to get the full effect.

Well worth your time.

[Tor.com Publishing]

I think this is the "real" trilogy at the heart of Dragonlance. I like Chronicles for it's "real adventurers on adventures" angle-- the way the PCs ignore the man with the jewel in his chest is just so...PC-esque-- but Legends has the big arcs. You see the world & its history through the only two Dragonlance characters that mattered to me...Raistlin & Tasslehoff. --MK

[Jason Waltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave the original series all 4s as I devoured them as a long-ago youth and Raistlin is one of my all-time memorable characters. This annotated collection is the best way to keep these books on my shelf.

[Jon Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book! I thought I had read this before, but if so, I'd forgotten every last bit. Finished this one much faster than Chronicles, which lends credibility to my greater enjoyment.

[Wayne Critsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make me wish I was 13 again

[Hugo Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leí este libro hace muchos años, y me gustó mucho mas que el señor de los anillos

I did read this book years ago and i loved it way more than the lord of the rings.

[Beth N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have fond memories of Dragonlance. As a nerdy teenager these were some of the first proper fantasy books I read, and I credit them with inspiring a lot of what I love in the genre. Having devoured Dragonlance Chronicles (and reread it multiple times), I borrowed a lot of the later books from a family friend and read those, too, voraciously. This is a world in which I have spent many hours; returning to it now after many years has been a kind of homecoming.

The events of the three books that comprise this bind-up occur a couple of years after the War of the Lance. Raistlin has taken over mastery of the evil Tower of Sorcery in Palanthas and his ambition is seeking ever-new heights. Caramon, no longer needed by his brother or the world, has retired to Solace and somewhat let himself go.

One thing that immediately strikes me upon returning to this series is how the world does not remain static. The War of the Lance had a world-shattering effect both on Krynn and on the heroes who fought to defend it. The scars of that war may have healed somewhat by the opening of this book, but nothing has come through it unaffected. This is not unusual, perhaps, for a sequel trilogy, but Weis and Hickman have always had a strong sense of their characters' identities and none of the changes we see feel arbitrary. They are all grounded firmly in the nature of the characters in question. Raistlin, ever ambitious, was always going to be reaching new heights. Caramon, on the other hand, spent the original trilogy existing for his brother; remove that foundation from his life and it is no wonder he flounders. Even the irrepressible Tasslehoff is not left unaffected. Though the kender remains buoyant and curious, there is a new depth to him that comes from having lost friends and understood the darker aspects of life that normally pass kender by. This all derives from how deeply the authors care for these characters. As a reader you get the sense that Tanis, Raistlin, Tas and the rest are not just tokens created to drive a plot; they are friends and companions for many years. The story that we are told occurs because of who these characters are.

Which is not to say that a critical reader would necessarily find them well written. Dragonlance is, at its heart, novelised Dungeons & Dragons fiction and the characterisation reflects that origin. There is a tendency towards categorisation: good characters are good, evil characters are evil, and this is one of the only series I know of to boldly use "evil" as an objectively definable term. Generally a character's actions are predictable as soon as you know their alignment. Raistlin, in comparison, remains a fascinating character purely because of the nuance that a lot of his companions lack. He has chosen the evil path, but he is granted humanising moments: he loves, he fears, his mockery can sometimes melt into genuine laughter. You pity him even as you hate him. What keeps you hooked is the hope, against nearly all evidence, that the good in him will win out. But, like all good D&D characters, that same generalisation is what makes for strong characters. There is a comfort to the predictability. You get to know them very quickly, and that knowledge equally quickly makes them into dear friends.

My nostalgia-tinted vision is content to overlook the fact that much of the plot in these later additions to the franchise is decidedly flimsy. For those readers who demand that their stories hold water, there will be some evident gaping holes here. Dalliances with time travel, for example, don't bear looking at too closely, and arbitrary choices will frequently be made just because the story needs to divert in a particular direction. Indeed this would be frustrating - if plot integrity were the important thing. But, like any game of D&D, the point of Dragonlance is not to present a fully believable, true-to-life sequence of events. Instead, the writing is the Game Master's narration, or the set dressing in a theatrical performance. It is not designed to be a perfect recreation of life; it is a prompt to fire the imagination.

One of the many joys of this series is that it does not forget that fantasy can be fun. It is of its era, yes. Some might argue there are far too many rippling muscles and stereotyped portrayals of women for comfort. But for those of us who grew up loving the cheesy, swords-and-sorcery, colourful fantasy books so popular in the eighties, these books are a delight. One can have a surfeit of grimdark moral greyness. At its heart, Dragonlance is an adventure, an offer of escapism from a suffocating reality. It is vibrant. It is fast-paced. Its prose might not pass a modern-day editor's cutting table, but really that doesn't matter. If you want to flee from life for a while, Dragonlance will offer you a home.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I reread Dragonlance Chronicles, there was no going back. They transported me back to youthful reading memories and I was intrigued to revisit the second trilogy, Legends, which never held as special a place in my heart as the original trilogy. I expected to enjoy the nostalgia, but I didn't expect to get so sucked into the intensity of the story. I couldn't stop reading, despite knowing the outcome. The story of the twins, Raistlin and Caramon, is one of fantasies great character relationships and the writing of Weis and Hickman flourish and grows with the telling. Whereas the first novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, occasionally feels trapped in its AD&D roleplay game guise and the conventions of the genre, the Legends Trilogy is its own beast. It might be very traditional high fantasy but the characters turn it into something rather unique. After playing second fiddle to Tanis and Laurana in the first books, now they take centre stage which is where Raistlin belongs. Now the most powerful magician in the world of Krynn, he plans to enter the realm of the Gods and challenge the Queen of Darkness for dominion of their world. Caramon, desolate, lonely and helpless without his twin, has turned drunk and depressed. When Crysania, a holy cleric who has fallen in love with Raistlin, arrives seeking an escort, it sets in motion a journey through time that will reveal the deepest corners of the twins' souls.

Rather than pure fantasy adventure, Weis and Hickman draw on other sources for inspiration that give Legends a very different feel to the first books. Time travel mingles with prophecy very effectively. When they travel back in time (Raistlin to achieve his dark goals, Caramon to thwart him) they enter into a time loop in which they retrace the footsteps of Fistandantilus (terrible name for an evil wizard), that looming, possessive shadow that constantly haunts Raistlin. By throwing Tasslehof into the mix and allowing his presence to change the course of history, the authors introduce a clever element of tension and doubt into the time travel plot that combines well with that narrative powerhouse - prophecy. The events in Ishtar leading up to the Cataclysm have an almost Biblical tone. It takes a while to get going and the plot is rather unexpected, but by the time Tasslehof is rushing to the Kingpriest in order to stop the Cataclysm and Caramon has, montage-style, shook off his alcohol addiction and transformed into a magnificent, loincloth-clad gladiator, I was hooked again. The romance between Crysania and Raistlin is beautiful, painful and deeply believable. It spirals neatly and quickly to the Cataclysm and we are catapulted forward in time into book two.

Typical middle book slowness sets in, but not for long. Weis and Hickman begin with a glorious battle between the two schizophrenic black mages, ending in a cleverly ambiguous scene when Raistlin's identity is thrown into permanent doubt. Caramon's development is also very interesting - at first his character seems the dramatic shadow of his brother but he grows a few dimensions as the general of Raistlin's armies in the Dwarfgate Wars on a mission to local the Portal Raistlin needs. The progression of the three main characters is always careful and believable. There are many scenes of quite poignancy and beauty - Raistlin's laughter as Caramon is caught in a rabbit snare, the awe they feel as Raistlin incinerates the plague struck village, Raistlin and Crysania's one, stolen kiss. Weis and Hickman do fantasy poignancy so well, with various mantras repeated throughout - for example, the motif that Caramon believes he's out to save his brother's soul when, in reality, it is his own that needs saving. Those solemn one liners remind of Tolkien's dramatic speeches, yet they temper it with characters like Tasslehof and the silliness of time traveling gnomes. It's a delicate balance but they pull it off.

The third book, The Test of the Twins, is simply breathless. There is Shakespearian majesty in the haunting tale of Lord Soth, there is Dickensian morality in Tas and Caramon's visit to the doomed future Raistlin creates, and there is a return of the Chronicle's swashbuckling fantasy in the manic Battle of Palanthas. Tanis returns too, proving what an incredibly hypnotic and sympathetic character he is. The darkness in his soul is given some closure in the disturbing finale of the Kitiara/Soth plotline - Tanis's letting go is one of those Weis/Hickman moments of heavy but satisfying poignancy. His cynicism and confusion fits perfectly into the build up to the final confrontation of the twins, allowing us to see them through other eyes after the changes of their time traveling and soul searching. The introduction of Dalamar is a welcome one too - Raistlin's apprentice in yet another brilliantly ambiguous character whose evil nature is tempered with a clear sense of honour and humanity. There's even a bit of ridiculous slapstick as Tas and a gully dwarf madly pilot a flying castle over the city. All that is contrasted with the trudging flashbacks and psycho terrors of Crysania's and Raistlin's battles in another dimension. When the inevitable happens, when Raistlin betrays his one chance of love, the scene is set for the only possible outcome - the twins must face each other and reveal their souls' true nature.

In that meeting lies the genius of their relationship as depicted by these two deceptively talented authors. Its movie equivalent must be the end of The Empire Strikes Back, the battle for Vadar's soul. All through the trilogy, Weis and Hickman play with your sympathies. Raistlin is inherently despicable but you feel their affection for him. Caramon is the one you should empathize with yet you grow frustrated with his dependence on his twin, with his inability to form his own identity. The irony of their inter-dependence drives the entire plot. Fantasy is often flawed by the black and white boundaries of good and evil. Here, almost all of the characters struggle in grey areas - the twins most of all. When they meet again, you may guess what is going to happen. It doesn't really matter. Everything about that meeting moved me. It's the culmination of six books of patient storytelling. Amidst the dragons and the wars, the magic and the Gods, Weis and Hickman manage to tell a story about two brothers whose love and hatred for each other must go through Hell and back before they can find some kind of understanding; a bitter, sad and beautiful understanding. It ends like Samwise ends Lord of the Rings - "I'm home". I ended it with a huge satisfied sigh. In the intervening years I've devoured hundreds of wonderful books, but reading Dragonlance does feel a little like coming home again.

[Menion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weiss and Hickman doing what they do best, better than anybody. It's great to have all three of these in one volume with flexible binding, my poor mass market paperbacks of this series from the 80's are slowly wearing out. God bless the omnibus!
If you are reading this, you already know the plots and how good the writing and stories are. Suffice it to say, the only writing these two did that approached this level of quality was the original Chronicles and the Rose of the Prophet series. Their other writing was good, this is THE BEST. What a shame further Krynn stories from these two will never see the light of day, thanks to the imbeciles at Wizards of the Coast.

[Lily Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favourite from the Dragonlance chronicles. I was surprised how much I liked this trilogy. I read it a long time after the original trilogy and thought maybe only the original trilogy would have that effect on me. I've been disappointed by lots of sequels and trilogies so wasn't expecting much. But I loved this series too. Raistlin was my favourite character and I adored the brother relationship with Caramon. Books with emotion charged relationships always draw me in and this trilogy had that in spades.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second series after Dragonlance Chronicles, which features the beloved mis-matched warrior and mage twins Caramon and Raistin, is not as good as the first series, but gets points for trying to get away from the typical LOTR/D&D themes of its predecessor. Fairly confusing in its time travel aspects, but not quite enough content for a 3-book series.

[Jordi Polo Carres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tengo nostalgia por estos libros, pero a la vez no recordaba muchos de los detalles y ha sido como leerlos de nuevo.
Hay algun aspecto que me parece un poco mal llevado pero en general creo que deberían tener mucha mas fama de la que tienen.
No puedo decir mucho sobre la trama por obvios spoilers.

[Pam Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Tasselhoff, little hyperactive thief. He provide a light and welcome relief to the rest of the characters.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read these books since I was a kid, somewhere between ages 10 and 13, the time during which I read a great deal of high fantasy, starting with the books of the Dragonlance saga. Eventually I read dozens of Dragonlance books, played the Dragonlance computer games, collected Dragonlance materials for Dungeons & Dragons and just about any other media they produced with the Dragonlance logo on it. During this time I was probably an expert on the lore and the characters of Dragonlance which largely centered around a core cast of "companions" which included twin brothers Caramon and Raistlin Majere. Caramon was the oafish warrior archetype, and Raistlin was the frail, sarcastic, morally mercurial magic-user. So of course it was Raistlin to whom I was most endeared.

I remember Raistlin as a larger-than-life character, whose machinations and ambitions wove endless threads through the Dragonlance literature. This is true, more or less, but at this remove most of the books and stories and plots are a homogenous blob in my mind, and it's only in the re-reading that I am set straight. Raistlin wasn't a very big deal until the end of the original Chronicles trilogy, which I re-read last year or so, and it is this trilogy, the followup Legends, that really set the Raistlin myth in motion -- ancillary adventures concerning him notwithstanding.

In Time of the Twins both Caramon and Raistlin travel through time to the era of the fabled city of Istar, destroyed in a cataclysm of divine anger at the hubris of the resident Kingpriest. Raistlin has travelled in order to sort out his on-again/off-again relationship with Fistandantilus, the greatest mage to ever live; Caramon has adventured in order to protect a character new to the lore: Crysania, a devoted cleric of Good. Also along for comic effect and because it's not Dragonlance without him is Tasslehoff Burrfoot, Kender handler (a reskinned halfling thief).

Crysania's motivations are unclear. She thinks she can redeem Raistlin, whose ultimate goal is to challenge the gods themselves and ascend in their place; she also seems to think that she can prevent the destructive Cataclysm by also redeeming the Kingpriest by doing what amounts to absolutely nothing. I mean, if you went back in time to prevent a catastrophe, would you just sit around the clubhouse with the people who caused said catastrophe without ever bringing it up in conversation? This is effectively what Crysania does, then whines that things play out the same way she read about in her history books.

All in all not a lot happens in the first book of the trilogy. Caramon starts off fat and drunk, but tones up as a WWE superstar in the Istar colosseum, where he is an enslaved combatant. Raistlin kills Fistandantilus off-screen and usurps his role as magician-in-residence in the otherwise holy temple, where he reads books. Crysania doesn't do much of anything for most of the book until she bursts back onto the pages in the last act or so to play out some gothic romance with the newly hot-blooded Raistlin while trying to convince him that evil is bad, actually.

Then the asteroid hits.

War of the Twins. An odd thing about this book is that, on re-reading it, I have no recollection of any of the events within. The second book in the Legends trilogy has Caramon, Raistlin, and Crysania safe from the cataclysm but now ensconced in an indeterminate time and in a haunted Tower of High Sorcery that does not yet recognize Raistlin as its master.

The novel is broken up into three "books" or acts. In the first, the characters recover from their journey and make sense of their effective present time (time travel stories are always weird). Raistlin's goal here is to a magical Portal to enter the Abyss and challenge one or more of the gods there, but he finds the Portal is not where he expected to find it. Instead, the Portal is far, far away in a fortress deep within territory controlled by hostile dwarves, elves, and plainsmen (the Dragonlance "barbarians"). The characters start their journey to the Zhaman. They are waylaid by bandits almost immediately but Caramon defeats the bandit leader and assumes control of the group.

In the second act, the characters and the bandit group grow as they travel into a veritable, then an actual army. In the times after the Cataclysm, it was easy to radicalize disaffected young men against the Dwarves, whom are rumoured to have stashed great wealth in their mountain vaults.

Meanwhile, Tasslehoff didn't die in the Cataclysm but was whooshed to the Abyss, himself, a token for the Dark Queen Takhisis to use in her war with Raistlin. With the help of a gnome, they leave the Abyss.

In the third act, the longest of the three book sections, Caramon's army engages with its enemy, Tasslehoff catches up with everybody, Raistlin does evil and manipulation, Crysania prays, and everything goes to Abyss, figuratively.

I know that time travel is hard to reason about, but there are weird things going on with this book. Why did Raistlin expect to find the Portal to the Abyss in the tower at Palanthus? If it was removed from there by Fistandantilus, as Raistlin discovered in the past, and Fistandantilus died in his attempt to use it at its new location at Zhaman, who moved it back such that Raistlin observed it there in the future? (The Dragonlance wiki doesn't know either: "Somehow the portal was sent back to the Tower in Palanthas.") Raistlin's habit of teleporting places, including those he's never been, with one or more companions, seems to minimize the need for an army to defeat the dwarves in order to access the fortress of Zhaman, which -- by the way -- is also haunted and shunned by the same dwarves when they do arrive. Why didn't Raistlin just teleport there with Crysania and do the thing with the Portal? Nobody'd have been there to notice.

I might as well ask "why didn't the eagles just fly Sam and Frodo to Mount Doom," but it makes you wonder. War of the Twins makes a big deal about the inability to "change" time, so if Fistandantilus took an army to Pax Tharkas to defeat/distract the dwarves so he could access Zhaman, then that's what Raistlin has to do too. I'm just surprised that Raistlin was surprised.

War is a solid second part to the Legends trilogy. Characters grow, especially Caramon (in a positive way) and Crysania (in a negative way). It's a pretty character-driven entry, really. They are acting out events that are, to them, historical facts and the sense that they have no agency is galling to them, except Crysania, who is still certain that she can make it different this time, actually.

Test of the Twins. The end of the road, at least the first stint, for Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance. Their six books -- the Chronicles trilogy and this sequel trilogy, Legends -- form the backbone of the epic tale. All other works, which number in the hundreds, and include additional work by Weis and Hickman, are ancillary to this, the story of the War of the Lance and its aftermath.

The Legends trilogy ends with Test of the Twins, which following directly from War of the Twins finds Caramon and Tasslehoff back in the world, but they've gone too far ahead in time! And they see the world that is left in the wake of Raistlin's success at challenging the gods, and it's not a promising vision. At the end of the first act, they nope out of there. In the second, we join some familiar faces -- Tanis, Dalamar, Kitiara, and Lord Soth -- in the "present" as Kit and Soth prepare an invasion of Palanthus in advance of Raistlin's imminent victorious return from the Abyss, at which point he will need someone to Rule over Ansalon, and Kit thinks she fits the bill. Soth has a different end game in mind. We see a few vignettes of Crysania and Raistlin struggling through torments in the Abyss, and Raistlin leaves Crysania to die after some illusory villagers try to burn her as a witch.

The third act has Kit and Soth's assault on Palanthus engaged, Caramon and Tasslehoff rejoining the tale in the midst of it, Caramon set on entering the Abyss himself to stop Raistlin and prevent the apocalypse. Tas flies a citadel. Caramon bullies his way into the Abyss and -- spoiler! -- Raistlin sees the error of his way and trades Crysania's life for his own, as he sinks back into the clutches of Takhisis, the 5-headed dragon goddess he intended to overthrow.

Finally, a long epilogue with as many endings as the extended edition of Return of the King has every surviving character settle into the rest of their lives.

In an afterword, Weis mentions being on a tight deadline and finishing the book in one month. That's a wild pace -- even though the book is on the short side at around 300 pages. Anyone who's done a NaNoWriMo should relate. But they (Weis and Hickman) knew what they were writing and just had to get it done. The result is fairly workmanlike and frankly there's not a lot going on -- just a breakneck sprint to the heroics and tearjerkiness of the final chapters.

I mentioned in a previous review that as a kid I found Raistlin to be this larger-than-life character, but on rereading this series it's funny how so much of Raistlin's story actually happens "off-screen." Like in Spring Dawning (Chronicles III), where he ups and leaves the story for a while, he barely appears in this book at all. Aside from a few scenes in the second act and the big finale in the third, Raistlin's completely absent from the book even as he looms over every other character and every other decision. Which is pretty remarkable.

Somewhat workmanlike, Test wraps it up for a while. I know there's the stink of "role-playing game fiction" all over the brand, but the story here deserves more than the page. But even Joe Manganiello, a huge Dragonlance fan, couldn't get a live-action project off the ground. Shame.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second collector's Dragonlance edition. It's not as good as the first. I found the storyline a bit tired and the book seemed to run out of steam. Much of it was a plodding quest where not a lot happened. Perhaps it needed more characters to propel the story along.

I did enjoy the book, but not as much as the first. It was enough to whet my appetite, but I now feel that I might give it a rest for a little while. I would like to turn to some of the offshoot novels that have come from the two volumes, but now is not the right time.

[Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le pongo tres estrellas porque las leí hace treinta años y me gustaron, y me puede un poco la nostalgia.

Si las leyera ahora quizá me querría morir, por eso no lo pienso hacer y me quedo con el recuerdo.

[pemondelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantástica trilogia recopilada en este edición de coleccionista. Horas de pura delícia de literatura fanàtica donde Weis y Tracy Hickman vuelven a encontrar un punto maravilloso en el que no puedes dejar de leer. Un drama fantástico equiparable a lo mejor.

[Arlene Baratta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to find out what happens after "Chronicles" trilogy. Great series of books to escape. <3